Game apparatus



B. RADTKE GAME APPARATUS Dec. 31,. 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1954 Fig. 1.

"HIM.

INVENTOR.

H/S ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 31; 1935.

Filed Oct. 29, 1954 B. RADTKE GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wifness 75 INVENTOR. 7a Bruno Radlhe 5o 49 g f M ///s ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UITED STATES GAME APPARATUS Bruno Radtke, Chicago, Ill., assignor to John F. Meyer, Chicago, 111.

Application October 29, 1934, Serial No. 750,401

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus.

It is .an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatus which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efilcient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet having arranged therein an inclined playing board which is provided with a ball exit opening; a runway arranged upon said playing board; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into said runway or into said ball exit openings; means arranged at the lower end of said inclined playing board for reprojecting balls up over said inclined playing board toward the upper end thereof so that they may again gravitate thereover and enter into said exit openings; means in the form of a star-shaped member arranged in said runway adjacent the lower end thereof and in the path of balls traveling down the latter, temporarily stopping balls from traveling'from said runway into engagement with said ball reprojecting device; means normally latching said star-shaped member against movement; and means actuated by a ball entering either certain of said exit openings or by a ball engaging said reprojecting device to release said latching means 7 from latching engagement with said star-shaped member so as to .allow the latter to rotate a predetermined circumferential distance to release a ball held thereby for movement down said playing surface into engagement with said ball reprojecting device.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and .arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective detail view illustrating certain parts of the new game apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view on line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional detail view on line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view on line 5-5 in Fig. 1;

g This latch member 22 is carried by and is formed Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 in Fig. 1;

.and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of an electromagnetic circuit embodied in .the invention.

A preferred form of the new game apparatus 5 is shown in thedrawings, is generally indicated therein at It), and comprises a cabinet I l in which is arranged an inclined playing board 12. The inclined playing board I2 is provided with ball exit openings [3 and likewise formed in the upper 10 portion of the playing board I2 is a so-called master opening I4 (Fig. 1).

Mounted in the lower end wall of the cabinet H is a propelling device or plunger l5 by means of which balls may be propelled, one at a time, 16 up the ramp 16 onto the upper portion of the playing board l2; and arranged upon the playing board l2 adjacent the ramp I6 is a ball trap H which is pivotally mounted at one end, as at 44, Fig. 5. This ball trap I1 is arranged in a ball runway H (Fig. 1) and the runway H is defined by guide rails l8 which are arrangedupon the inclined playing board i2.

Arranged upon the inclined playing board [2 at the lower end of the pivotal ball trap I1 is a ball-retaining or ball-stopping device in the form of a star-shaped member or star wheel l9 which is rotatably mounted, at its center, as at 20, upon the inclined playing board l2. 5

Formed in the inclined playing board 12 adjacent the star-shaped ball-stopping member I9 is an opening 2| (Fig. 2) andprojecting upwardly through this opening 2|, above the upper surface of the playing board I2, is a latch member 22.

as an upward extension of, a latch member 23 which is pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 24, below the playing board l2; the latch member 23 having a counterweighted end portion 25. 40

Formed in the inclined playing board l2 adjacent the lower end thereof is an elongated opening 26 and mounted in this opening 26 is an inclined ball runway 21 (Fig. 2) onto which balls 7 are guided, from the runway I1 and star-shaped stopping device I9, by means either of bafiles or guide rails 28 and 29, or the curved wall of the playing board I2 ,(Figs. land 2).

Mounted upon the ball runway 21 is a resilient or fiat leaf spring contact 30 (Figs. 2 and 4) and having its upper end portion projecting upwardly through the opening 26, rearwardly of the contact 30, is a ball reprojecting member 3|; this member 3| being pivotally mounted belowthe playing board 2, as at 32, upon a support or housing 33 (Figs. 2 and 4).

Arranged below the inclined playing board I2, in the housing 33, is an electromagnet 34, and this electromagnet 34 is embodied in an electromagnetic circuit, generally indicated at 73 (Fig. '7); this circuit 13 including a suitable source of electric energy 36.

Slidably mounted below the inclined playing board l2, so as to retain or stop temporarily balls which enter into the ball exit openings 3, is a sliding panel 31 and formed in the upper end portion of the inclined playing board l3, and at a point where it is independent of the sliding panel 31, is the so-called master? opening. I4 (Fig. l). Arranged below the master opening I4 is a circuit-closing device, generally indicated at 38 and which includes 'a pair of spaced, relatively stationary, contacts 39 and 39 and a relatively movable contact 40 which is adapted to bridge or span the fixed contacts 39 and 39' and close circuit therebetween. Attached to the movable contact 40 is an arm 4| which projects under the master opening I4 and this arm 4| is pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 42, upon a supporting base in the form of a ball runway or trough 43 (Fig. 7).

The ball trap I7 is pivotally mounted at its upper end, as at 44, relative to the inclination of the playing board I2, and is normally urged into a. position parallel to the plane of the inclined playing board l2 by means of a spring 45 which is attached to the lower end of an arm 46; the arm 46 depending from the ball trap I'I. Engageable with the depending arm 46 of the ball trap I1 is a lateral extension 41 of a slidable member 48 which is carried by the sliding panel 3'! (Figs. 5 and 6).

Projecting under the counterweighted end portion 25 of the pivotal latch member 23 (Fig. 3) is a contact arm 49, the arm 49 being formed as a part of the electromagnetic relay circuit I3; the contact arm 49 being pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 5|, below the inclined playing board I2, and carrying at its upper end a contact 52 which is engageable with a stationary contact 53 (Fig.7). I

As shown in Fig. 7, there are three circuits embodied in the device. I f

The first ofthese circuits, generally indicated at 35, includes the source of electrical energy 35, a conductor 60 which leads from the source 36 to the contact 39', the bridge baror movable. contact portion 40 of the pivotal contact member 4|, 7

the contact 39, a conductor 59 which leads from one contact 39 to one side of the relay electromagnet 59, the electromagnet 59, and a conductor I2 which leads from the other side of the electromagnet 50 to the source of energy 36. I L

The second or relay circuit, which is generally indicated at I3, includes the source of electrical energy 36, the conductor 58 which leads from the source 36 to one side of the electromagnet 34, the electromagnet 34, the conductor 51 which leads from the'other side of the electromagnet 34 to the contact 53, the contact 53, the contact52, the relay arm 49, and a conductor which leads .from the relay arm 49. to the other side of the source 36.

The third circuit is generally indicated at 74 (Fig. 7) and includes the source of electrical energy 36, a conductor 56 which leadsirom one side .of thesource 36 to the movable contact 39 of the reproj'ecting device, the fixed contact 55 of the electrical Operation Balls are propelled one at a time up the ramp I 6 by the propelling device 7| 5 onto the upper portion of the inclined playing board |2 so that they 10 may gravitate over the latter and, depending upon the skill of the player, enter onto the runway II or into the ball exit openings l3 and I4.

The halls which enter into the runway 'lI travel, by gravity, to the lower end of the latter 15 where they are temporarily trapped or stopped by engagement with the star-shaped member or star wheel l9 (Fig. 2).

In order to release a ball trapped by the star wheel I9, it is necessary for the player either to 20 play a ball into the master opening I4 or else to play a ball onto the contact 30; it being noted that in order to play a ball onto the contact 30 the player must play the ball into that particular area 63 of the inclined playing board |2 which is 25 defined by the side rails 62 (Fig. 1); access to the upper end portion of this area being had by way of a restricted throat or inlet 64.

A ball entering the master exit opening l4 drops by gravity onto the pivotal arm 4| of the 30 circuit-closing device 38 and in so doing engages the transverse arm 40 carried thereby with the relatively stationary contacts 39 and 39', thereby activating circuit 35, which includes the elements (3669-39'4039--5950 and 72) and thus 35 actuating the relay electromagnet 50, which thereupon pivots the relay arm 49 at 5| (counterclockwise, Fig. 7, clockwise, Fig. 3). This movement of the relay arm 49 engages the contact 52 with the contact 53 and thus closes the relay cir- 40 cuit I3 through the electromagnet 34, which thereupon attracts the ball-reprojecting member 3 I; this movement of the reprojecting member 3| being, in this case, an idle movement since there to dotted line position, Fig. 3) and this move- 55 ment of the latch member 23 lowers the upwardly extending latch arm 22 thereof below, and out of the path of, the arms 6| of the star wheel I9, thus allowing a ball stopped by the star wheel I 9 to rotate the latter one step, that is, a predetermined circumferential distance (clockwise, Fig. 2). This movement of the star wheel |9 allows a ball stopped thereby to roll out of the runway TI and off the trap down the inclined playing board l2 toward the lower end thereof, the thus released ball being guided onto the ball runway 27 and onto the contact 39 thereof by the curved side wall 65 of the inclined playing board I2.

As soon as the ball thus released from the star wheel I9 passes over the contact 36 it forces 70 the latter into engagement with the contact 55 arranged therebelow (Fig. 7) and in so doing activates the third circuit 14, which includes the elements (36563955-54-3959-59 12) (Fig. 7), thereby activating the relay circuit '73 75 M and its electromagnet thereby closing circuit through the electromagnet 34, whereupon the lat- V ter attracts and pivots the ball reprojecting member 3| (counterclockwise, Fig. '7)v into engagement with the ball disposed upon the contact portion 30 of the ball runway 21 and thus the ball is rapidly reprojected by the member 3| up off the ball runway 2l30 into the area 63 of the inclined playing board l2, and possibly out of the latter through the exit 64, so that the ball thus reprojected may again gravitate over the inclined playing board l2 and enter into one of the ball exit openings l3.

As soon as a ball is released from engagement with the star wheel 19, the counterweighted end portion 25 of the latch member 23 pivots the latter by gravity, at 24, (clockwise, Fig. 3) and in so doing raises the latching end portion 22 thereof up into the path of the arms 6| of the star wheel [9, thereby preventing further movement of the latter and thus temporarily preventing the release of any additional balls trapped by the star wheel l9 upon the runway l1 until such time as the player again succeeds in playing a ball into the master opening H3 or into the ball runway 3i!21.

If the player succeeds in playing a ball through the restricted throat or inlet 64 onto the area 63 of the playing board [2 and over the contact 39, the weight of the ball passing over the contact 39 engages the same with the contact and, by so doing, activates the third circuit 14 and the second or relay circuit 13; thereby activating the ball-reprojecting member 31 and the relay arm 49 which is thereupon pivoted at 5| (counterclockwise, Fig. 7, clockwise, Fig. 3). This movement of the relay arm 49 pivots the latch member 23 (counterclockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3), and thus withdraws the latching end portion 22 of the latch member 23 below, and out of the path of, the arms SI of the star wheel I9 thereby allowing the latter to rotate another step (clockwise, Fig. 2) and thus releasing another trapped ball for movement down the playing board l2 toward and into engagement with the ball-reprojecting device 3i3-3l.

At the beginning of a game, the player inserts a coin into the coin aperture of the coin slide 61 and pushes inwardly upon the latter (left to right, Fig. 1) so as to move the sliding panel 3'? likewise from left to right, Fig. 4. This movement of the sliding panel 3'! registers the holes 68 therein with the exit openings l3 in the playing board l2, whereupon the balls disposed in the exit openings 13, upon the sliding panel 31, drop onto an inclined runway 69 by which they are returned to a point adjacent the elevating device l9 and the propelling device l5.

At the same time, this movement of the sliding panel 3'! (left to right, Fig. 4) engages the arm c1 of the member 48 with the depending arm d5 of the pivotal runway l1 and in so doing pivots the ball trap H at 44 (counterclockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 5) against the action of the resetting spring 45, thus discharging any balls held by the star wheel I 9 upon the pivotal trap I! at the start of the game onto the inclined runway 69 for return to a point adjacent the elevating and propelling devices 10 and 15, respectively.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efiect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of:

a cabinet including an inclined playing. board having a ball exit opening therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into said ball exit opening; means including a device arranged adjacent the lower end of said inclined playing board for reprojecting balls up onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may again gravitate thereover and enter into said ball exit opening; a runway arranged upon said inclined playing board for guiding balls into engagement with said ball-reprojecting device; a rotatable star wheel arranged in said runway for temporarily stopping balls traveling down the same; and means including a device actuated by a ball entering said ball exit opening to move said ball-stopping rotatable star wheel into position to release a ball stopped thereby so as to allow the ball thus released to travel down said inclined playing board into engagement with said ball-reprojecting device.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a

cabinet including an inclined playing board having a ball exit opening therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper ,portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into said ball exit opening; means including a device arranged adjacent the lower end of said inclined playing board for reprojecting balls up onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may again gravitate thereover and enter into said ball exit opening; a runway arranged upon said inclined playing board for guiding balls into engagement with said ball-reprojecting device; a rotatable star wheel arranged in said runway for temporarily stopping balls traveling down the same; and means including an electromagnetic device actuated by a ball entering said ball exit opening to move said ball-stopping rotatable star wheel into position to release a ball stopped thereby so as to allow the ball thus released to travel down said inclined playing board into engagement with said ball-reprojecting device.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board and said playing board having ball-receiving pockets or exit openings formed therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said playing board so that they may gravitate thereover. and enter into said ball-receiving pockets or exit openings; means, including a device arranged adjacent the lower end of said inclined playing board for reprojecting balls up over said inclined board toward the upper end of the same so that they may again gravitate thereover and enter into said ball-receiving pockets or exit openings; a runway upon said inclined playing board for guiding balls downwardly over the same into engagement with said ball-reprojecting device; means arranged in said runway adjacent the lower end thereof for temporarily stopping balls traveling down said runway; means normal- 1y latching said ball-stopping means against operation; and means including a device actuated selectively and at different times either by a ball entering a certain one of said ball-receiving pockets or exit openings or directly by the action of said ball-reprojecting device, when the latter is engaged by a played ball, for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with said ball-stopping means so that the lattermay move into position to release a ball stopped thereby for movement down said playing board toward, and into engagement with, said ball-reprojecting device.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet including an inclined board and said inclined playing board having ball-receiving pockets or exit openings therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into said ball-receiving pockets or openings; means, including a device arranged upon said inclined playing board adjacent the lower end of the latter, for reprojecting balls onto the upper portionof said inclined playing board so that they may again gravitate thereover and enter into said ball-receiving pockets or exit openings; means arranged in said runway for temporarily stopping balls traveling down the same; means normally latching said ball-stopping means against operation; and means including a device actuated directly by the action of said ball-reprojecting means, when the latter 'is engaged by a played ball, for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with said ball-stopping means so as to release a ball stopped thereby for movement downwardly over said inclined playing board into engagement with said ball-reprojecting device.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board and said inclined playing board having ball-receiving pockets or exit openings therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into said ball exit openings or pockets; means, including a device arranged upon said inclined playing board adjacent the lower end of the latter, for reprojecting balls onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may again gravitate thereover and enter into said ball exit openings or pockets; a runway upon said inclined playing board for guiding balls downwardly thereover into engagement with said ball-reprojecting device; a member rotatably mounted in said runway for temporarily stopping balls traveling down the is engaged by a played ball, both for actuating the said ball reprojecting device and for releasing said rotatably mounted ball-stopping member from latching engagement with said latching means so as to release a ball stopped thereby for movement downwardly over said inclined playing board into engagement with the said ball-reprojecting device.

BRUNO RADTKE. 

